Fragrance transfer between fabrics for forensic reconstruction applications

Sexual assault is a serious crime that often has low conviction rates. Recent literature has demonstrated that there is potential for fragrances to be valuable in forensic reconstructions where there has been contact between individuals. However, developing appropriate evidence bases for understanding the nature of fragrance transfer in these contexts is needed. This article presents three experiments that address the transfer process of fragrances that have been transferred from a primary piece of fabric onto a secondary piece of fabric, in a manner that could occur during an assault. The three variables studied were the ageing time of the fragrances on the first fabric prior to transfer, the contact time between the two fabrics, and lastly the fabric type (of the primary material and the recipient material). The transfer was evaluated using a validated solid phase micro-extraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME GC–MS) method. The findings demonstrated that all three variables had an impact on the transfer of fragrances between clothing fabrics. Generally, lower volatility compounds were transferred and recovered in larger amounts than higher volatility compounds. All fragrance compounds were successfully recovered from a secondary piece of fabric even when the contact time was as short as 10 s, and even when the perfume was aged on the primary fabric for as long as 48 h. The nature of the fragrance transfer also depended on the fabric type, so that a clear discrimination was observed between the fragrance transfer that occurred onto a natural fabric (cotton) and onto a synthetic fabric (polyester).     

Response to Criticism: Understanding the Conceptual and Measurement Models of Legitimacy

Asian Journal of Criminology -     

论警察的公众信任--以中国为例

本研究评估了中国公民对警察的信任程度,并探讨了影响公众对警察信任程度的因素。就目前来看,针对中国公民对待警察的态度进行的实证研究寥寥无几。本研究以冲突理论为理论框架,通过收集中国8个城市的访谈数据,检验了性别、年龄、教育程度、收入、就业、感知政治影响力等冲突变量以及相关控制变量对中国警察公信力的影响。结果表明,这些变量对于中国公民对待警察的态度的解释力有限。青年以及政治权力较低的中国公民往往对警察的信任度较低。此外,中国公民对警察的态度还受到公共安全满意度、政府处理犯罪的能力、生活质量和政府官员腐败度的影响。同时本文也对未来研究的意义进行了讨论。     

Complementarity effect in the innovation strategy: internal R&D and acquisition of capital with embodied technology

The Journal of Technology Transfer - For scale-intensive industries and science-based industries in Germany, we investigate the question whether firms combining internal R&D and acquisition...     

Local Government in Tasmania: Reform and Restructuring

Tasmania has a long history of failed attempts at restructuring local government boundaries yet managed a major reform process of 'modernisation' between 1990 and 1993 that incorporated major changes to council operations together with a restructuring of boundaries and a reduction from 46 to 29 councils. This process can be compared with a recent attempt to reduce further the number of local governments. In April 1997 the Liberal Premier announced reforms ('Directions for Tasmania') that led to a further reduction in the number of councils. This process collapsed following legal challenges and the proroguing of parliament prior to the 1998 state election. The defeat of the Liberal government saw the abandonment of the proposed amalgamations and establishment of 'partnerships' between the new ALP state government and councils. This paper compares the 1990–93 and 1997–98 reform processes and evaluates the outcomes of the amalgamations in 1990–93. It argues that the success of amalgamation and reform in local government has been strongly influenced by the degree of local government involvement and support in the reform process, lessons that have wider application.     

Faith and palliative care: a partnership of care in low- and middle-income countries

ABSTRACT

The provision of holistic palliative care has been identified by WHO as a human right, important for all people, at all ages, with all life-limiting illnesses. When faced with death and dying, issues of meaning and relationships with others, the world, and with the sacred are intensified even more in communities where faith and spiritual beliefs have a significant place. Being able to understand the significance of dying and interpreting the experience and period of living with life-limiting illness, presents an important challenge for palliative care. This article sets out the contribution that faith communities have made in understanding the significance of spiritual issues in health and in delivering palliative care in lower to middle-income contexts where palliative care has been prioritised.     

Systematic Interpretation and the Re-systematization of Law: The Problem,Co-requisites,a Solution,Use

International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique - A renewed search for legal certainty is a reaction to the preponderance of judge made law, which...     

Development and reform of police training and education in Taiwan

This article describes the development of training and educating police officers in Taiwan. The current system, which has largely survived the democratic transition between 1986 and 2000, is unique. It is a two-track system in which Taiwan Police College (TPC) is responsible for training low ranking police personnel, whereas Central Police University (CPU) is responsible for educating police management personnel. Currently, the presidents of CPU are no longer chosen from the military, but their backgrounds require experiences as police officers. The Examination Yuan opens up the new route into TPC and CPU through competitive national civil examinations. Echoing the outcry for reform within Taiwan and abroad, we advocate to liberate new cadets from the closed system so that they can learn together with other non-police students and to add more social science materials into the police education curriculum.     

The identification of individuals by observational gait analysis using closed circuit television footage

This study investigated the ability of individuals with experience in gait analysis to identify people by observing features of gait recorded by closed circuit television cameras (CCTV). Seven experienced analysts each viewed five samples of footage. Each sample showed a “target walker” and five “suspect walkers.” The task of the experienced analysts was to determine which, if any, of the “suspect walkers” was the “target walker.” All of the participant “walkers” wore identical loose fitting clothing to mask anatomical and body contour features, and balaclavas to obscure facial features. The overall results showed that the experienced analysts made a correct decision in 124 of 175 cases (71%), significantly better than would have been expected to have occurred by chance (p < 0.05). A significant variation in correct decisions (p < 0.05) was shown to occur between the various angles from which the footage was recorded, footage recorded in the saggital plane showing the highest number of correct decisions. Significantly more correct decisions (p < 0.05) were also shown to occur when the footage of the “target walker” and that of the “suspect walker” were taken from the same angle. The results suggest that individuals with experience in gait analysis perform well in the comparative identification of suspects from CCTV footage, and therefore do have a role to play as expert witnesses in this field.